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  • This 12 mile hike proved to be a delighful look into past two centuries, and the resorts and railroads So. California entrepreneurs built and successfully ran for decades in the San Gabriel Mountains above Altadena and Pasadena. Echo Mountain was home to the 'White City,' a large resort hotel and club used in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It was built by a Professor Lowe, and a trolley, using open cars, was used to transport guests and daytrippers to Echo Mt. The train bed, which is now a fire road and hiking trail, wound around San Flores Canyon for 3.5 miles to the foot of Mt. Lowe where another huge resort catered to the adventurous who took the dicey trolley ride to Alpine Tavern. There were overnight accomodations, barrooms, various lounges and a restaurant. The grounds were lovely, and guest could walk about a mile to Inspiration Point where two covered open shelters provided guests with picnic tables, viewing tubes aligned to the various points of interest in LA County..and beyond, and had the OMM Railroad (one man and a mule). This was a single trolley car 'pushed' by Herman the mule from 1917-1935 from Inspiration Point to Panorama Point and return. Herman pushed the car so guests wouldn't get dusty. It was a lovely warm day, and although the altitude gain was only 2800 feet, the remnants of the past, the well-cared-for trail by Altadena volunteers, and the terrific 'information signposts' (all mounted on sections of the old rail track), made for a pleasurable hike.

  • said mountainmaster1

  • 2001.08.30 at 06:10:56 PDT

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